


Lost Affection

by hawkinzclub



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, M/M, My First Fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-13 09:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13567254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawkinzclub/pseuds/hawkinzclub
Summary: Some things were as plain as day for the kids in Hawkins.Some, not so much.Emotions of all kind, builds and love is the result.





	1. Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Hellooo! This is my first fic, ever! I have a lot planned, so be ready!

85’

Freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility. Peace, that is. Peace is a state of mind, that many had the opportunity to experience.

Will Byers knew what peace was. He saw it all around him. He knows of peace, he knows about that state of mind. Will knew that some people had easy lives, that peace came to them easily. He knew that some would find peace in drugs, alcohol, and other ways. Other ways like violence and bringing pain to others.

Will didn’t experience peace anymore. That word left his vocabulary two years ago. He still thought about it though. Sometimes he can remember what it feels like. The light and airy feeling, like he’d float away. Some days, he gets caught up in those memories. Most memories he remembered were with Mike, before his life took a turn. He remembers one night specifically, like it was yesterday.

“ _So, do you like it Mike?”_

_Mike had one of those faces. Those faces that revealed every emotion the person was feeling. Mike didn’t just like his present, he loved it._

_Mike held the binder in his hands, eagerly flipping through it. “ This is really great Will! I love it.” Mike enclosed the space between him and Will, and gave him a hug. It was short, and sweet. Will had given him a blue binder, of all of his drawings. It took a while, to redraw everything, but it was worth it. It was worth it because it was Mike, and they were best friends. His hand cramped, because he was so excited and did it all in such a short time. But when he saw the look on Mikes face, he didn’t mind._

A vivid memory. One that he’ll always remember. His happy place. Owens, his old therapist, told him to find one of those. Somewhere he could go when the upside down found its way into his mind again. He finds himself thinking back to that memory often. And when he does, his chest grows warm. Come to think about it, anytime he thinks about Mike, his chest grows warm.

“Mr.Byers?”

The shrill voice of his new teacher stopped his thinking, and that feeling in his chest went away. She called his name again, and he made an excuse about how he was nervous, with starting high school and all. She accepted his answer, and continued on telling the class what to expect this semester. He sat and secretly doodled for an excruciatingly long time until the bell rang. He had his next class with Lucas and Max, so he was ready to leave.

As Will walked out into the hallway, he heard someone call for him. “Byers!” Will turned around to meet Lucas, with Max beside him. They had made their relationship official a short while after the Snowball last year. Max walked up to Will, skateboard tucked under her right arm. “Hey wiseman, me and Lucas are going to the arcade after school. You coming with?”

Will agreed, although he didn’t have much of a choice when it came to Max. After the whole ordeal last year, Will and Max really clicked. Not so much as brother and sister...maybe like close cousins. He was grateful for her friendship. They told each other things, stuff that no one else in the party knew about. They would hang out often, just two of them , and it was nice.

“Hey can Mike come too?” Will asks. He only had one class with Mike this semester, and they sat across the room from each other. Max shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah sure, that’s cool.” Will was satisfied with that answer and walked on to his last class of the day.

“Um Max?” Lucas asked, he was confused. “Are you sure you’re okay with Mike coming? I mean you can avoid him, but still, I don’t want you to be..uncomfortable or anything.” Lucas was trying his best not to be to pushy with her, but he knew how Mike could get.

Max just shrugged her shoulders once more, like the way he treated her was nothing. “It’s whatever, Lucas.” She didn’t want to talk about this anymore, because she was lying. It did hurt her feelings, everyone in the party liked her except for Mike. At first, she figured it was because she was new. But as time went on, Max realized that there was something else hidden behind that hatred.

“Let’s just catch up with Will and get this last class over with, I’m ready for the arcade!”

——  
The bell had rang, and school was over. Mike was standing outside the doors of the school, waiting for Will and Lucas. The first day of school had been..interesting to say the least. He had missed lunch with his friends because his schedule had been messed up. And Mike missed his friends, but if Mike was honest with himself ( and he never was ) he had missed Will the most.

“Hey Mike, let’s go!” Mike snapped out of his thoughts to see Lucas, Will, and unexpectedly Dustin walking towards him. He was getting ready to greet his friends who he’d missed, until he saw her.

The look of joy quickly left the face of Michael Wheeler. “What is this?” What was she doing here? Who invited her? “Why is she here?” Mike said as he shifted his book bag from one shoulder to the other.

“She has a name, Mike, why don’t you use it.” Lucas said as he rolled his eyes.

“Oh? Really? That’s funny because I can’t seem to remember it!” Mike yelled, shifting his book bag straps to be on both of his shoulders.

“Alright Mike you know what? Why don’t you walk ahead of us, so you can calm down?” Dustin chimed in. He was never fond of drama within the party, he was like their mediator.

Mike scoffed and breathed out a “whatever” and started to walk in the direction of the arcade. He heard Will ask Max if she was alright, and then he started to feel bad...only just a little.

He was just beginning to think about which games he was going to play, until he saw Lucas bounce up beside him.

“What’s wrong with you?” Lucas asked, looking Mike straight in the eyes, demanding an answer.

“Nothing.” Mike denied. He didn’t want to talk about this any further.

“No, Mike. I won’t except a ‘nothing’ answer!” Lucas scoffed. They’ve been playing this game ever since Max joined the party, and Lucas was getting sick of it.

“This has been going on for almost a year now, what’s really going on?” Lucas asked, genuine concern lacing his voice.

Mike slowed his pace and looked down to the ground. He didn’t hate Max, he thought she was pretty cool. He just missed Will. They were hanging out a lot, and with Mike’s mother wanting him to help more around the house, he barely got to see Will. Of course with Lucas’ family being so close, his mother had the same idea. Dustin was spending his time at the library, and other times with Steve. Mike could understand why Will hung out with Max, but that didn’t stop him from being jealous.

He didn’t quite understand why he was jealous exactly. But he knew that something was going on with him, because every time he thought about Will Byers, his chest grew warm.

He never gave Lucas a straight answer, just muttered an “I’ll tell you later” and quickened his pace. Ready for the arcade.

But even then, things wouldn’t get better.


	2. Anger

 

A strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Anger.

Mike was never really an angry person until two years ago, when his life changed. He was a nice kid, who was good to his family and friends, and wasn’t mean to new people who were just trying to fit in. He didn’t want to be angry person, that’s just how he was now. No matter how hard he pushed himself to be nice, everything that had ever happened to him came back into his mind. All of it was too much for him.

As he sits in the private room of the arcade, away from everyone else, he thinks about Jane. He misses her. She couldn’t go to the school with him and the others just yet. His sister, Nancy, was helping her play catch-up, and building up her social skills along the way. Everyone thinks that when she comes back, they’ll get together, officially. As much as Mike loves El, he doesn’t want that. He did, way back when. When a certain brown haired, green eyed boy didn’t make his chest grow warm. It was tugging at him. He didn’t know why he felt like this, or what it meant. He didn’t understand why his eyes were always trained on Will, as if he were trying to get everything he could from him. He figures it’s just because he doesn’t want Will to get hurt. Because Will is his best friend, and best friends don’t have romantic thoughts about each other. Best friends don’t stare at the other when they aren’t looking. Best friends don’t think about them while they’re trying to fall asleep at night.

Except when they do.

As Mike begins to leave the room to join civilization the door opens, and Max enters.

“What are you doing in here?” Mike asked. Was she following him?

“To play Dig Dug.” She said nonchalantly. Throwing her bag down beside the machine, she slides the coins in.

“Why are you in here?”

“None of your business.”

As Mike turned to leave the room, he hears the game stop, and the next thing he knows, Max grabs him by the shoulder and turns his around.

“What is your problem!? I have been nothing but nice to you! I have been nice to all of your friends! Even Jane! Remember how she completely brushed me off? Huh? Don’t tell me that you forgot about what your little princess did, Wheeler!” Max was red in the face, and her jacket started to slouch on her shoulders from her movement. She was mad. Brows furrowed, lips tightly pressed together. Mike had never seen her like this, but that didn’t shut him up, although it should’ve.

“You know why I don’t like you!” Mike yelled, waving his hands around to really get his point across.

Max scoffed and put her hands down to her sides, clenching her fists. “Not an excuse, Wheeler! I’ve been here for almost a year now! Just admit that your jealous.” With that statement, she crossed her arms and looked Mike up and down, knowing that she had him.

“Jealous? Jealous of what? Your hideously red hair and your ugly tan?!” Mike cried. He was lying to himself once again. He thought her hair was cool, and wished that he wasn’t so pale. But he couldn’t let her think that. He knew people like Max, always wanting to know your business, wanting to act like a therapist. Always annoyingly checking on you every five minutes, he has Nancy for that.

“No! You’re jealous because of all of the time I’ve been spending with Will! I _know_ people like you, Wheeler. Saw it firsthand in California.”

Mike didn’t know which part of that to address first. The part about Will, or the “people like you.”

His pride got the best of him.

“People like me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind, Wheeler. Maybe you’ll figure it out.”She turned around to face the Dig Dug machine. Muttering something about her ruined high score, she grabbed her bag and brushed past Mike, but before she left, she had something else to say.

She took and deep breath and looked down at the floor.

“You think I want to be here?”

Mike shrugged. “ Dunno. Seems like you do.”

“No, I don’t. My own mother won’t even tell me why we left and moved almost halfway across the country away from my father.”

She wasn’t looking at the floor anymore, she wanted Mike to really hear what she was going to say.

“So before you yell at me, before you brush me off, before you pretend to _forget my name_ , remember that I have feelings too.”

And with that she left the room.

——

As Max left the room, she looked around for Will. After looking and not finding him, she walks up to Lucas.

“Hey..Where’s Will?”

Lucas looked up from his game for a brief moment. “Outside. Said something about fresh air.”

Max didn’t give a response and went out the front doors of the arcade. She stepped out, and looked to her left to find Will. He was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk that lined building. She moves towards him, sitting her bag down and plopping herself beside him. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Will spoke.

“I heard you guys.” He said, looking at the ground and fiddling with his fingers.

“I’m sorry.”

“ Um...the next I see him, I’ll talk to him, yeah?” Will said, finally looking up at Max.

She nodded her head and cracked a little smile. “Ok, yeah. Thanks Will.”

As they continued to sit and wait for their rides, Max remembered that she had something to give Will.

“Hey, I have something for you.”

//

“ _Yeah, my dad had tons of those things. He volunteered at a center to help those people.” Max said, kicking the dirt of the ground at the junkyard._

_Will sat slightly up from the hood of a car he was laying on. “What do you mean ‘help’ those people?”_

_“Well, people are mean, and rude to them. Some people are even killed for it.”_

_Will sat all the up now, sitting his elbows on his knees and putting his head in his hands. Max had moved her way over, and sat beside him. He didn’t know that. I mean he knew people were rude but, he didn’t know they were killed. He wondered why. People were just being themselves, there was no harm in that right?_

_“I can get you one of those pins I was telling you about, if you want one?”_

_“Really?” Will looked up at Max, excitement filling his eyes._

_“Yeah, for sure.”_

//

  
Max dug through the front of her bag, remembering that she had dropped the pin there before she left for school that morning. Once she finally found it, she looked up at Will.

“Okay, close your eyes.”

Will let out a breath of annoyance. “Max, seriously. Just show me what it is.”

“Nope. Close your eyes, Byers. Hold out your hands too.”

He closed his eyes reluctantly, and held out his hands. She gently placed the pin into his hands, and told him to open his eyes.

What Will saw in his hands was a flag, not just any flag. With gold lining the outside, and shades of the rainbow giving it its color. As he traced the tiny thing with his fingers, his eyes stung with tears.

Max took the pin from his hands, and moved to pin it on the front of his jacket.

“No, not on the outside.”

Max nodded, understanding why. She flipped open Wills jacket, and poked the needle through.

“There it is Will, just for you.”

Just as Will was about to open his mouth he saw his mother pulling up in the parking lot.

“Thanks, Max.”

“You’re welcome, wiseman.”

Will opened the door of his mother’s car, and Joyce waved to Max and pulled off.

Will moves to turn the heat up in the car, and leans his head on the headrest. Joyce spoke about Max, and how close they were getting. He knew she was implying that there was something more, and he quickly denied. Saying that he didn’t like Max in that way, and she was with Lucas.

And besides, Will had someone else on his mind.


	3. Acceptance

 

The action or process of being received as adequate or suitable, typically to be admitted into a group. Acceptance.

As Will biked to school on Monday morning, he was grateful that their first day of school had been on a Friday last week. The same day that Max had given him his pin. He was never taking this jacket off. Of course, he could just move the pin to another jacket, but it wouldn’t be the same.

That Friday night when he got home, he had called Mike and made plans to ride school with him today. He had really missed his friend and wanted to see him. Ever since he had gotten his pin he thought about Mike more and more. Wondering if Mike would accept him. He would tell Lucas, Dustin, and Jane. But he needed Mikes acceptance the most. He was Wills first friend, and was his only friend for a short time. He needed Mike.

As Will continued to bike up on Mikes street, he already saw him leaving his house, on his bike. Will stopped where he was, and waited for Mike to come to him.

“Hey Will!”

They both started to bike to school, staying in sync with one another. There was a comfortable silence at first, the two just feeling the slight breeze on their skin. Will was going to talk to Mike about his behavior towards Max. She was becoming one of Will’s best friends. They confided in each other, with secrets that no one else knew. Will wanted Mike to like her, there was no real reason he shouldn’t he thought.

He turned his head to the left and spoke. “Mike?”

“Yeah?”

“You know.. Max.. she’s been a really good friend to me lately.” He said, easing his way into this conversation.

“Okay..Why are you talking about it?” Mike asked, genuinely confused. He wasn’t aware that Will knew about the argument he and Max had that Friday.

“I know about the argument between you and Max.”

Mike was becoming irritated. That argument was between them. She was just trying to turn his friends against him, he just knew it.

“And no she didn’t tell me, I heard you.” Will knew what Mike was thinking. Will told Mike how much Max has helped him, how much she had begun to mean to him. How they connected in so many ways that it was scary. Their rough family lives, the ways that they feel. And he told Mike how much Max supports him.

“Supports you? What do you mean? Mike asked.

...

“ _Jealous?. Why were you jealous?”_

_“I don’t know. I mean I guess. I mean, I wanted to be happy for him, he’s my best friend. And he hadn’t seen her in a year. Will looked down at his hands and sighed. He didn’t know why he was telling her this.. did she feel the same?_

_“I think this has to do with Mike, and something else too Will.” She moves to look at his head hanging down, and tries to meet his eyes._

_“You promise not to tell?”_

_“I promise, Will.”_

_He took a deep breath, and looked into Max’s eyes. “I uhh... I like boys, Max.”_

_A small smile creeped across her face, and fondness filled her eyes. “Did that feel good?”_

_Will grinned and nodded his head, with tears filling his eyes._

_“I bet it does.”_

...

Will never answered Mike, just shrugged it off and continued on to school. He pleaded with Mike to be kind with Max, and he finally caved. He said that he was only doing it for him. Will wondered if he said that because they were best friends, or if Mike felt something. He wondered if Mike had that warm feeling in his chest just like he did. Maybe his glances linger a little too long.. just like his does.

...

As Will makes his way to lunch, he plays with the pin inside of his jacket, feeling the ridges where each color ends, moving into the next one. He somehow manages to grab his lunch with just one hand, still trying to fiddle with the pin. He sits down at the lunch table with the rest of friends, and sees that they’re in a heated discussion, or at least Dustin.

“You can’t just call people _idiots_ , Dustin!” Lucas cried.

“What’s the point of the word if I can’t use it?”

Will sat down in the empty seat between Mike and Lucas, and cross from Max. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Dustin called some kid an idiot in class and got in trouble.” Mike said while laughing with a mouth full of food.

“Yeah, Dustin is very serious about powerhouses.” Max chimed in, a teasing grin on her face. Will laughed along with his friends and dug into his food. As he ate, he wondered if they would accept. They’re still friends with him now after being dead, and possessed. People still call him zombie boy every now and then. They’ve been through so much together, why would they stop being his friend because of what he likes.

Will was broken from his thoughts as a kid brought a piece of paper over to Dustin. He took the paper from the kid, and read it carefully. And a look of annoyance crossed his face.

“Oh, come on!” Dustin yelled, banging his fist on the table, getting sauce absolutely everywhere.

And by everywhere, meaning all over Wills jacket. He dropped his fork and looked down at himself. Pizza sauce everywhere. As Will got up to throw his tray away he heard Dustin cry out a few apologies. He says that it’s fine, and tells his friends that he was leaving for class early, and Lucas gets up to follow him.

“Hey, Will. Are you good?” Lucas asked, looking at Will worryingly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and put his hands in his front pockets. “You’ve been quiet lately, like at lunch today.”

“I’m fine. I was just thinking..about our next campaign!” Will scrambled for an answer hoping that Lucas would just accept as is. But Will should’ve known that Lucas was too good of a friend for that.

Lucas took his hands from and his pockets and crossed his arms. “Seriously, Will? We haven’t played D&D in forever. We don’t have the time anymore.”

Will’s answer to that is silence. Lucas puts his right hand on Wills shoulder, meetings his eyes.  
“You know that you can talk me to me, Byers. I’m always gonna be here.”

...

As the day came to an end all of his friends were heading to the arcade. Will couldn’t go, because he remembered that his mom was picking him up today. She had managed to get a day off, and wanted to relax at home, with her boy. He told his friends goodbye, and slid inside the passenger seat. Before he could say anything, his mom spoke.

“Oh, sweetie what is this on your jacket?” Joyce cried, frowning and tugging at his jacket, wanting him to take it off.

“No! Don’t take it off..I’m cold.”

Joyce scoffed and widened her eyes at Will. “Cold, Baby it’s August you can’t be cold unless you’re sick!” Somehow her eyes widened even more. “Will? Are you sick honey?”

“No, mom. Let’s just wait until we get home, yeah?”

She nodded her head slowly, still unsure about Will’s health, and drove off. Joyce mentioned something about having gotten groceries so once they arrived home they started to unload everything. Once they had gotten to the last of the groceries, Will noticed something.

“Mom, why did you buy more groceries than usual?” He said as they walked into the house with the last of the items.

“Oh! Uhh yes sweetie, I have to talk to you about something.” She sat the bags down and put her hands on her hips. Then she moved them and pointed towards, as if she was remembering something. “Wait! We need to get this jacket in the washer first.”

She moved towards Will and began shrugging his jacket off, and then she stopped, and looked up at him with nervous eyes. “Honey....What’s this?”

Will felt his heart rate pick up. He had forgotten about the pin in his jacket, he was too focused on the groceries. He stuttered out an answer as tears filled his eyes. “A f-friend gave it to m-me, mom.”

She sat down on the couch, and pulled him by his arm to do the same. “What friend, Will?”

He couldn’t read her reaction. Her eyes were wide and her voice might have been just as shaky as his. He wondered if he could tell her. After everything that they’ve been through, she couldn’t hate him now. He was her boy.

She took his hands in hers, and looked at him. “Will. You’re my boy, you know that right? You can always tell me anything.” She said as she nodded, the motion making the tears in her eyes fall. Will was shaking, and crying. He wasn’t even sure if he could get his words out. He had never actually said that word out loud. If there was ever a good time to do it, it was now.

“I’m gay, mom.”

He wasn’t sure if what he said was coherent, but it was enough for Joyce to understand. She pulled him in for the tightest hug she had ever given him. Even after being in the upside down, and being possessed, she had never hugged him like this. This was different than those times. He was sharing a big piece of himself with his mother. She had to accept the fact that he was missing inside of another dimension. She had to accept the fact that he was possessed by an inter-dimensional monster. But this? She had a choice. And she chose him. She chose her boy.

She pulled away from the hug, and grabbed his head with her hands, and wiped away his tears with his thumbs. “Will. I love you no matter what. I could never, ever hate you for what you are. You mean too much to me.” She let out another ‘I love you’ and pulled him in again.

They sat like that for a few minutes before they pulled away. They looked a mess. Red and tear stained cheeks, eyes swollen. But they had smiles on their faces.

“Okay baby, I still need to clean that jacket.” She said, laughing.

Will handed her his jacket and then he remembered something.

“Oh, mom, what did you have to tell me?”

The smile quickly left her face, and a frown replaced it. She took the jacket from his hands, and nervously played with the collar.

“Lonnie is moving back to town.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, Lonnie is coming back. It be ya own homophobic daddy.
> 
> Follow me on Twitter @joyfulcaleb


	4. Fondness

 

Affection or liking for someone or something. Fondness.

Will didn’t know whether to be happy, or weary. His mother had accepted him with open arms, but his father was back in town. Before Will even had the chance to think about sexuality, Lonnie would always throw slurs at him, every chance he got. It was confusing for a small boy to hear such words. He didn’t know what they meant, but tone of Lonnie’s voice told him that it didn’t mean anything good. He’s walking in the hallways beside Max before school started, and he’d told her about his eventful Monday evening.

“Wait, seriously? You told her?” Max asked, moving in front of Will to stop his movement.

“Well I kinda had too.” He said sheepishly, remembering that his mother had seen the special pin that Max gave him.

“She had wanted to wash my jacket, you know, after it got dirty at lunch yesterday.”

“I’m glad she’s taking it well.”

Will laughed out loud. “Yeah, yesterday after Jonathan got home, she went to Melvalds’s and got like three rainbow flags from the stock closet!” He was so happy that Joyce was taking everything well. He has a support system that consists of his mother and his new best friend, and maybe that system will grow.

“Joyce is way cool, i’m coming over way more now.”

When those words left her mouth, the happiness left Will. “Maybe not so soon, Max. Lonnie will be in town.”

She sat down on the floor of the almost empty hallway and pulled him down with her. “Are you gonna be okay? Can you ask Mike if you can stay with him?”

“My mom called Mrs.Wheeler last night.” He’d wanted to change the subject. This solemn topic only made him more weary of the fact that he’d still have to go home. He couldn’t stay with Mike forever, but that doesn’t stop him from wishing he could.

Max took off her bookbag and leaned against the lockers, crossing her arms. “Well, I called Jane last night, and she’s gonna be coming to school tomorrow!”

“Woah, seriously?” Nancy had been tutoring her after school every other day, so she could jump in with the rest of them. Steve and Jonathan would help out too, whenever they could.

“Yeah, she learns pretty fas-“

Before Max could finish her sentence Will heard a familiar voice call his name. He looked back behind him to see Mike speed walking towards them.

“Will, come on I have to show you something.” Will moved with a hesitant ‘ok’ and put his bookbag back on his shoulders. Mike gave a little wave to Max, and she did the same. He was glad to see that. Will needed his people to get along, especially in the long run.

He and Mike walked speedily down the hallway, and Will realized they were heading towards art, which they don’t have until second block. Before they turned the corner to the hallway, Mike poked his head around it. He then grabbed Will by his bag strap and moved him to do the same.

“You see that?”

A woman who wasn’t Ms. Baker, their art teacher, and two men. All of them were well dressed and serious looking. They were out of place. And for the party, out of place was never good. They moved their heads back and looked at eachother.

“It could just be the board coming to look around.”

Mike scoffed and rolled his eyes, something that he did often. “Seriously, Will? No one comes to this town, not even the board. We need to discuss this, the whole party.”

“Well tonight when I come to yours, we can just invite the whole party?” Will didn’t want that, at all. But they couldn’t ignore this. They could never ignore anything anymore. And right now, Will couldn’t ignore Mikes face. He would study it, every chance he got. He tried to count the freckles that scatter across his face, and his eyelashes that would flutter across them.

“I actually just wanted to spend time with you, Will.”

...

Joyce Byers was never one for conflict. She was a kind woman who had the sole priority of providing for her children, on her own. But now sitting on her porch waiting for a certain car to pull up, she’s ready it. She saw the familiar vehicle and stood up to stomp out her cigarette.

As he exited the car and pulled out a bag, she thought about something.

...

 

_“He-hello?”_

_“Yeah Joyce, it’s Lonnie. I uh... I couldn’t get a place to stay so i’ll need your place.”_

_“Lonnie, wha- uh what about the place I told you about?”_

_“That’s too far Joyce and you know it.”_

_“Well if you stay here then you’ll be too close.”_

_“I’ll pay you.”_

_Joyce scoffed and grimaced into the phone as if he could see her. “I don’t want your money! I want my boys happy..and safe!”_

_“Look, if you have any problems out of me just call your cop friend. I’m sure he’ll handle me good.”_

_“Fine. But if I find out you’re here for money, or anything shady, I’ll end you.”_

...

  
“Get out of your head and open the door for me, Joyce.”

She gave him a look and pushed the door open, letting him pass by her to put his things down. He moved towards the hallway to look around but Joyce stopped him.

“Where are you going? Sit down, we need to talk.”

They moved to the couch in her living room, sitting almost knee to knee. “Why are you here?”

“You know why I’m here Joyce.”

“No, no don’t do that.”

Lonnie scoffed and leaned back on the couch. “Don’t do what?”

Joyce pulled a cigarette and lighter from her pocket. “Don’t pretend that you care. You never cared.”

Lonnie stood up from the couch and raised his volume. “I do care Joyce, I’ve always cared!”

“No you haven’t! You don’t call!” She stood up as well, matching the volume of his voice. “Not on birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving! Never!”

“I’m trying here, Joyce.”

She put the cigarette out in the ashtray, and grabbed her bag and keys. She told Lonnie that she would be at work and Jonathan would be home later.

“When is Will coming home?” Lonnie said, putting his feet on the couch, shoes still on.

As Joyce put her bag on her shoulders, she pushed his feet off on the couch. “He’s staying at a friends, so he won’t be home until tomorrow.”

“What friend?”

Joyce let out an exasperated sigh and headed towards the door. “Don’t worry about it Lonnie, just be here when he gets home.” With that she slammed the door and left.

And Lonnie brought it upon himself to explore.

...

“So, are we sleeping in the basement like always?”

Mike looked to his feet and blushed, only a bit.  
“Actually..I was thinking that we could go to my room. You know? Cause we’re in the basement all the time.”

“O-Okay yeah, that’s cool.”

Mike made his way up to the room, and Will followed. This.. was weird. It was different than other time they had a sleepover. There weren’t romantic feelings, they didn’t blush any time the other spoke. The warm feeling in their chests were back, neither knowing that the other boy felt it too. It was odd. Lingering glances, and moments of silence where they just stare. Both of them wondering if the other felt the electricity.

Walking into his room Mike plopped down onto his his bed and patted the space next to him, signaling Will to sit next to him. “You haven’t brought me anymore drawings lately, my binder is getting kinda empty.”

Will sat next to Mike, facing him with his legs crossed. “I don’t know..I haven’t been in the mood to draw anything lately I guess.”

“Well can you draw me something?”

Will tilted his head to the side, a frown on his face.  
“What do you want me to draw?”

“Anything, Will. I like anything you do.”

...

It was Wednesday evening, and Jonathan was dropping Will off at home before he went to work.

“Can’t you just take off?”

Jonathan turned in his seat and looked at Will, cutting the car off. “You’ll be fine Will.. just stay in your room. And close the door.”

“I shouldn’t have to close the door Jon. I shouldn’t be afraid to be myself in my own house!”

Jonathan put his hands on the steering wheel and looked out in front on him. “I’m proud of you, you know.”

“For what?”

“For telling Mom.”

Will looked to Jonathan with a confused look on his face. “What do you mean?”

“She felt like you didn’t trust her anymore, after everything.”

“I trust you and Mom more than anyone.”

...

  
_Will walked out of his room and made his way down the hall, nervously twiddling his fingers. He stopped in front of his brothers room and knocked on the door, just barely making any noise._

_“Come in Will.”_

_He slowly opened the door and sat on Jonathans bed, looking down at the floor. Jonathan waited for Will to talk first, knowing that he didn’t like to be rushed._

_“You remember when you told me that it was okay..to be a freak?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Well, I knew I was a freak then, but maybe I’m even more of a freak now.”_

_“The freakier the better.”_

_Will looked into his brothers eyes. It was now, or he would never be able to say it again. He could trust Jonathan. In fact, Will doesn’t think he could ever not trust Jonathan._

_“I like boys, Jon.”_

_“O-Okay.”_

_“Yeah.”_

_Jonathan didn’t know much when it came to expressing his feelings with words. So he did it physically instead. He pulled Will into a hug, letting him know that it was all right. The freakier the better._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love that


	5. Fear

 

An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Fear.

If Jonathan had know what was going to happen to his brother, he never would have lied.

Will slowly walks up this front door, turning his head to the sound of his brother driving off. The sound of the gravel crunching under the tires made him even more aware of the fact that he was alone. He thinks this resembles the moment before he went missing. Except this time he knows his threat, and there’s no one here to help him.

He reaches up to the doorknob and turns it, surprised that it was unlocked. Stepping into his house, he loses one of his senses. Nothing but darkness as the door behind him closes. Then a lighter flickers and he hears the crackle as the flame gives the cigarette life. It’s as if Lonnie was waiting on him. Perhaps he sat in here with the curtains closed in the dark all of this time, just to scare Will a little bit, all in good fun. But Will knew better. He could faintly make out Lonnie, and saw that he was reaching over to turn the lamp on.

He’s finally able to see his father. Lonnie motions for Will to come over and sit by him. He hadn’t seen his father in two years, he wasn’t expecting this. He felt.. too vulnerable. The feeling that he was walking into something bad crept over him. Clenching his bag tight he walks over by his father, too weary and afraid to sit.

“Hey-“, Will tried to say. But his father had other plans. He was yanked down onto the couch with a strong arm. Will looked down to his fathers lap, and a whimper escaped his mouth. There, was the rainbow flag that his mother had gotten him. There was silence as Lonnies arm still held on to Wills wrist, tight. His bookbag was still in his right hand, walkie inside. He kept it with at all times, incase something else ever happened to him. Perhaps, this counted as one of those times. He knew his father was an angry man, but was he a deadly one? Would he hurt his youngest because of what he likes? Max told him those stories from California. Those stories of how people would be hurt, or even killed because of who they are. Lying was out of the option, he was never good at that. Maybe he’ll make a run for it, but he wasn’t good at that either. He was taken, every single time. When he had tried to run from the demogorgon, he’d been taken. When he had developed a sudden sense of bravery with the mind flayer,

_Go away! GO AWAY!_

He was taken then too. Would take him this time? Physically? Mentally? Would his father take any last sense of safety that he had? He would have nothing. And then Will tried to think if ever had anything.

Lonnie had a vice grip on Wills wrist, looking him dead in the eyes, instilling fear. The growing knot in his stomach making itself know.

Lonnie took the rainbow flag from his lap, waving it in mockery and them tossing it onto the floor of his home. Will looked at the ground with his eyes only, too afraid to move his head and make his father angrier. His lips, quivering with fear. His lengthy lashes fluttering against his cheeks everytime he blinked, to keep himself from crying.

“Where were you, son?”

The sudden voice made Will snap his eyes back up to his father. “M-mikes..”

The grip Lonnie had on his wrist tightened and he could feel his nails digging into his skin. “Who is that? Another fairy?”

“You know, son-“

_Son_

“I’m trying my best here.” He stood up from his place on the couch, placing his cigarette in the ashtray. He moved to stand behind the couch, directly behind Will. “But uhh..You’re making it a little _hard_.”

Will did not dare to turn around, fear paralyzing his entire body.

“Get up, son.”

Afraid to disobey his father, he slowly got up from his position on the couch. Neck stiff and bag still clenched in his hands, he moves around the couch to face his father.

“So I come back to this shithole of a town to help you and your mother, and this is your thanks?”He moved closer to Will, slowly closing the gap with each word, and his voice growing in volume. Over and over again he threw slurs in his face. Every word with a sickening meaning becoming engraved into his ears. His father had grabbed him by both of his arms, making his bookbag fall to the ground with a _thud_. Now he had wised that the lights were still off, so he wouldn’t see the increasing rage on his face. He wished the lights were off so his father couldn’t see the tears that made their way down his cheeks and dropping onto the floor from his chin.

  
Another wave of horror went over Will, causing a whimper to escape his lips as his father raised his fist, using the other hand to keep his grip on his arm. He closed his eyes, embracing himself for the combo of blows his father would lay upon him.

But they never came.

Instead, he felt the grip on his arm loosen until it was free. He slowly opened his eyes and with a shaky breath, he looked up at his father. His fist, steadily easing back down to his side.

Lonnie started Will down, and he he bumped his way past him and left the house. Will waited until he heard the car door close until he moved. He crouched down to his bookbag and fished for his walkie. Praying to any god, hoping that it still worked.

...

“Yeah, sure. I’ll teach you how to skateboard one day.”

Max and Lucas were sitting atop the school bus in the junkyard, the same place they sat for the first time last year. It quickly gained the title as their spot, where they would go whenever they just wanted to be alone, away from the others. Although she comes here with Will as well, the same place holds a different meaning with both boys, but neither of them had to know that.

“Oh yeah..Well I’ll show you how to use my wrist rocket too.” Lucas said, conveniently pulling the said item from the pocket of his jacket, and waving it in her face.

“Do you seriously carry that thing everywhere with you?”

He fiddled with his invention as a solemn look crossed his features. “Yeah, I kinda have too.”

“Oh, Right...”

They would never be the same again. They couldn’t afford to be the same, not after what they’ve seen. They know what’s out there now, they know what kind of people are really behind the business suits and clean cuts.

Breaking the silence, Lucas speaks. “Are you going to Hop’s dinner this weekend?”

“Yeah, I guess. Is he starting a new thing?”

Lucas turns onto his back, looking up at the gloomy Tuesday sky, and Max follows suit. “It was mostly Mrs.Byers’ idea, she wants to keep all of us together.”

“Why? Are we drifting apart?”

There was a pause.

“I don’t know. I guess not.”

Max moved from her back and moved onto her side, her hand propping her head up. “Good.”

“Yeah, Good.”

Before anything else could be said, the static of a walkie came through her bag. She opened her bag slowly, and then she began to speed up once she heard her name frantically being called, just barely hearing it.

Lucas sat up and a worried look crossed his face. “Who is that?”

She had an idea, but she hoped that she was wrong. Maxine Mayfield had never wanted to be more wrong in her life.

She pulled the device from her bag, pressed the button and spoke into it.

“He-hello?? Will?”

Her name broke through the walkie, clear as day.   
Will was crying, and frantic. She looked towards Lucas who had a troubled expression on his face.

“We need to go.”

...

Will didn’t expect his Tuesday evening to consist of him sitting in front of his door with an old bat. But here he was, hoping like hell that his father wasn’t going to burst through the front door. This time, if his father came back, he was going to be prepared. He wasn’t going to cower, not now. He never cowered, ever. Will was a brave boy, it was just that the odds were never in his favor.

Sitting there, bat in hand, he hears the sound of footsteps quickly coming to his door. He clenches the bat in his hands, the sweat coming from his palms making it harder to grip.

A rapid knock to the door makes him flinch in surprise. Whoever was at the door wasn’t his father. He didn’t put the bat down, but he got up slowly and inched towards the door.

“Who is it?” He said shakily. He supposes there was no point in asking, as he opened the door before the person behind it could answer.

The amount relief that washed through him was almost a foreign feeling. A chill passing from his head all the down to his feet. It almost felt as good as when he came out to his mother, almost.

There standing at the door was Max, skateboard tucked under her arm and a worried expression on her face, her strikingly red eyebrows furrowing. Before he could say anything, Lucas stepped out from behind her, revealing himself.

Will didn’t know that they were spending time together, if he did he never would have called. It would be a lot harder to talk about what happened with Lucas around, he didn’t know. Max followed Wills eyes to see what he was staring at, and then turned back. She made a look with her eyes only, and she told him it was okay. She steps into the house, and Will didn’t notice but the smell of smoke was still in the air. It didn’t bother Max, but he could by the way Lucas scrunched up his nose, he could tell he wasn’t used to it.

Max took the bat from Wills hands and set it down.

“What happened?”

...

Mike was bored. He had finished his small amount of homework, and had done the chores for his mother. As he looked around the room, he realized that he had nothing to do. And more specifically, he had nothing that showed who he was. In Nancy’s room she had pictures and frilly curtains. Jewelry boxes places about her dresser. Walking into her room, you could just tell who Nancy was. The only thing that could even show a bit of his personality was the color of his room. Blue. And to Mike, blue meant sad, and hopeless. That’s exactly how he felt.

He felt like he was half of himself, like he wasn’t whole anymore. He had wished that the last two years of his life had never happened. The party doesn’t play D&D anymore. An excuse is that they never have the time, but that isn’t true and it never was. It reminds them of the nasty fluff from the tunnel that lingered around them like the secrets they keep. Then from the fluff, they think about the cold of that place, _The Upside Down_. It was a different type of cold from the winter, and the beginning of spring. The cold was sickening, that _cold_ was something he never wanted to feel again for as long as he lived. He hated the things that happen to him, but nothing could ever compare to Will Byers. Not that you should want to, but Mike can’t help but to wish that he could take the burden. He wishes that the events of the last two years happened to him, and not his best friend. Will was a brave boy, Mike knew that.

But Mike, wanted to be brave for him. Then he realizes that he hasn’t been so good to Will lately. Being rude to his best friend doesn’t exactly help his feelings.

So Mike decides to take a trip to the Byers house, to see Will. As he begins to leave his room, a picture catches his eye. It was the picture that Jane pointed out, years ago. In that picture Will looked the happiest Mike had ever seen him.

And so, staring at the framed memory, he makes a promise to Will, in his head of course.

I promise you Will Byers, I will make you happy again.

A promise that would seem insignificant to any ordinary bystander, but it meant the world to Mike.

...

“So you’re..gay?”

Will had never been asked that question outright. He was either assumed gay, and then that followed by disgusting slurs from equally disgusting people. Or he had revealed his sexuality.

“Yeah.”

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and muttered an ‘ok’. The silence that followed was a bit awkward.

But then

Lucas follows his statement with a hug. One that was needed, and one that gave him the impression that everything was fine.

“Is he coming back?” Lucas asked, worried for his friend. He had never had a family dispute like this. His household was peaceful for the most part. Family advice wasn’t in Lucas’ vocabulary, he never needed it. So, he tried to be as supportive as he could.

Will didn’t answer, he didn’t have any words. He could only think about what would happen if his father did come back. The thought was in all of their heads, and it terrified all three of them.

Breaking their thoughts, there was a sound outside of the house. Max reaches for the bat and Lucas stands in front of will, thinking that maybe he could spare him this one time. Will looks in the door in fear, and then his eyes linger down to the doorknob, it was unlocked.

The door opens and the light from the outside peers into the living room. Whoever it was, they were being agonizingly slow with revealing who they were.

A mop of black curls come into sight first. Then he sees brown eyes with long lashes accompanying them. Freckles dotting across pale skin come into view.

It was Mike.

“Will?”


End file.
